Executives and Board
A tireless advocate for the hungry for more than 40 years, Catherine D’Amato assumed the leadership of GBFB in 1995. During her tenure, she has transformed GBFB into a $180 million charitable business and increased GBFB’s distribution from 7.5 million meals a year to nearly 90 million healthy meals this past year. She has grown GBFB’s network to include nearly 600 partner food pantries, meal programs and direct distribution sites across the 190 cities and towns across Eastern Massachusetts.
Under D’Amato’s guidance, GBFB has risen to the unprecedented challenge of responding to the surge in hunger due to the COVID-19 pandemic, distributing over 117 million pounds in 2021 to GBFB partner agencies that report serving over double the number of people in need. In 2021, GBFB marked its 40th anniversary since its incorporation while also distributing its 1 billionth pound of food which was accelerated by D’Amato’s leadership through the COVID-19 crisis.
Carol J. Tienken stepped into this newly created role as Chief Information and Strategy Officer on October 1, 2022 as the organization intensifies its commitment to digital transformation, data, information, technology infrastructure and architecture, Project Management Office (PMO), team support and service. This role also includes strategic planning for the business which she has managed for 24 years. Prior to this new focus, Carol became the first Chief Operating Officer of The Greater Boston Food Bank in 1999, a role she has held since, which included food acquisition and distribution to our network of agencies in 190 cities and towns; establishing nutrition standards; instituting warehousing and transportation best practices; Human Resources; disaster and pandemic response. Carol provides oversight to the Health and Research Council. Carol has been a member of the Executive Leadership Team since 1999.
Prior to joining GBFB, Carol was at Polaroid Corporation in Domestic and International Marketing for 18 years. She also was an employee member of the Polaroid Foundation for five years, working on grant responses for the Boston-Area Community Committee. She was the first employee member and first woman on the Polaroid Pension Fund Manager.
Carol serves on the board of directors of the Newmarket Business Association and its newly created Business Improvement District (BID). She is an active member of Newmarket’s Issues Committee. She is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Mystic Valley YMCA, and a member of CHA (Cambridge Health Alliance) Board Committee on Population Health. Tienken grew up in sub-Saharan Africa as the daughter of an American diplomat and received her Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology and MSJ in Magazine Editorial from Northwestern University.
Pranita Amarasinghe joined the Greater Boston Food Bank as Chief Financial Officer in December of 2019. She is responsible for Finance, Accounting and IT operations.
Prior to joining GBFB, Pranita was the Chief Operating Officer at Boston Senior Home Care (BSHC). In addition, Pranita has worked in senior positions at several non-profit organizations including Central Boston Elder Services (CBES), Cambridge Housing Authority (CHA), New England Organ Bank (NEOB) and the Mentor Network. Her major accomplishments in these positions include creating new programs to move tenants out of public housing at CHA, establishing new fiscal policies and procedures at NEOB and streamlining processes and creating efficiencies.
Pranita is a seasoned financial professional with over 30 years of experience with both non-profit and for-profit organizations. Her expertise includes budgeting & forecasting, management reporting, international financial reporting, multi-national audits, cash management, staff supervision, IT management and contract negotiations.
For-profit experience includes the multi-national retailer, Gap, Inc. At Gap, she managed $2 billion in fixed assets through consolidation of multi-national accounts.
Pranita received her financial training at Ernst & Young (E&Y). She earned both an MBA, and a BS in Business Administration, from Notre Dame de Namur University in Belmont, California. She is a Certified Public Accountant, licensed in California and member of the Massachusetts Society of CPAs.
Cheryl Schondek is the Chief Operating Officer at The Greater Boston Food Bank (GBFB), overseeing the acquisition, and distribution of all healthy food, as well as managing the food procurement, the entire warehouse operation, building, facilities, budgets, transportation and logistics, inventory teams, volunteers and community impact including all partner agencies. Since joining GBFB, she and her team have grown GBFB’s food acquisition by more than 95% and increased the volume of fresh food for clients in eastern Massachusetts.
Prior to her decision to join GBFB in 2014, Schondek had a successful corporate career at Shaw’s/Star Market, Albertson Supermarkets for more than 25 years, managing perishable, nonperishable, private brands, supply chain, and product management departments. Schondek has received numerous recognitions for her many accomplishments throughout her tenure in food retail including the Griffin Report Women of Influence.
Schondek is highly active in the food industry, chairing the GBFB Food Industry Committee. She is an executive board member of the New England Food Foundation, serving as President, a board member of the New England Region of the Network of Executive Women, and a founding board member of the New England Produce Council. Cheryl was a member of the Supervalu Corporate Diversity and Inclusion Board and was the president of the Shaw’s Affinity Group – MESA, founded on Mentoring, Encouraging, Supporting and Achieving. Recently, she joined the Board of Directors for the Transportation Association of Massachusetts and is on the Board of Directors for Hope and Comfort, a local nonprofit with a mission to supply health and personal care items to families in need. Cheryl has a passion for learning, with degrees from the University of Vermont and Bridgewater State University and has completed course work at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Executive Supply Chain session and Cornell University Produce Program.
Aprylle Wallace is the Executive Vice President of Human Resources and Administration at The Greater Boston Food Bank where she provides executive-level leadership and guidance to the organization. More specifically, she develops and implements strategic talent management programs that advance the organization’s mission while setting, enforcing, and evaluating human resources policies, procedures, and best practices.
Prior to joining The Greater Boston Food Bank, she was responsible for strategic and tactical human resources activities at Metalor Technologies for 11 years, which included supporting employees located internationally. Throughout her career, Aprylle has led successful Human Resources teams and initiatives.
Aprylle holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Johnson & Wales University, and a Master of Business Administration degree from Bryant University. She is a Certified Human Resources Professional, a Registered Parliamentarian, and a volunteer who has served on various boards and held a number leadership positions in organizations throughout New England.